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Strategies to Prevent Head Injuries While Engaging in Outdoor Winter Activities

posted on February 22, 2017

Winter weather may be an excuse to have a lot of fun outdoors, but snow, ice, extreme cold, and other inclement weather can also be a great danger. Frolic at will, but ensure you’re safe while doing so using these five tips.

1. Stay Off the Ice

If you want to go ice skating, stick to a rink. Outdoor ice can be very deceptive. Not only can you slip and get a head injury, or worse, a concussion, but there’s also a good chance that you could break a bone, or receive a serious laceration. Most importantly, never trust that ice covering a lake, or any body of water, is strong enough to support your weight. If you love ice that much, put it in your drink and avoid serious injuries!

2. Watch Out for Icicles

People underestimate how dangerous icicles can be. As the air temperature warms, existing icicles can fall from eaves and cause serious injury to anyone who may be below them. Survey the scene before you step out and spare your noggin from falling ice.

3. Snowboarding Safety

You may not think it’s cool to wear a helmet, but donning one while snowboarding could spare you from a head injury. High speed plus a fall could equal a concussion unless you’re wearing the proper protection.

4. Sensible Skiing

Just like snowboarding, skiing can be dangerous if not done properly. Stick to slopes appropriate to your skill level, stay away from trees, and wear a properly-fitting helmet to stay safe.

5. Regretting Sledding

Sledding is more dangerous than most people realize. Stories abound about people who have broken limbs, received lacerations, and sustained head injuries while sledding into trees, fences, cars, mailboxes, etc. Probably best to enjoy the beauty of the snow from indoors, or simply build a jolly snowman.

Preventing head injury is crucial to the visual system because traumatic neurological impairment is often the cause of visual disorders.

Winter can be one of the most fun times of the year. Making the best of inclement weather is a great way to get through this dreary season, but nothing is more depressing than dealing with an injury due to playing in the snow or ice. Be smart, stay safe, and have fun!